NA LCS Summer Split Week 4: Restoring Balance

The teams have made it through Week 4 of the NA LCS Summer Split, showcasing some of the best League of Legends play in the region. Immortals continue their...

Daniel Joseph Lilly
26 June,2017

The teams have made it through Week 4 of the NA LCS Summer Split, showcasing some of the best League of Legends play in the region. Immortals continue their strong performance this split, defeating both of their former-fellow-first-placers, Counter Logic Gaming and Team Dignitas. Perennial favorites Team SoloMid and Cloud9 climb to positions more akin to their historical presence, and Phoenix1 scores their first win of the split against Echo Fox, but loses to Team Liquid.

NA LCS Summer Split Week 4

Immortals continue to see a return on their investment after trading away jungler Dardoch and acquiring Xmithie. While he was touted before the Split began as being a reliable, supportive player, the former CLG jungler has been showcasing his own playmaking ability. Immortals are currently 7-1, with their only loss going over to Team EnVyUs. It’s been a team effort for Immortals. Aside from Xmithie’s playmaking and jungle prowess, Flame leads the league in KDA in the top lane, and ADC Cody Sun is top 3 for his position.

Immortals’ victories over both CLG and Dignitas have caused Spring Split champions Team SoloMid to bob above the surface. They now sit tied for second place with CLG, with a record of 6-2. The team mentality for TSM is to practice more of a variety of comps, hopefully in training for more international competition. While they did win a game against FlyQuest with Hauntzer on Kled and Bjergsen on Zilean, most the remainder of their three games from the week featured the classic tank-control mage-hard carry combo.

Cloud9 was also able to climb this week, defeating Team Liquid and Team Dignitas. TL continues switching up their roster, fielding mid laner Slooshi and support KonKwon all week. They also subbed in jungler Inori for one loss against Cloud9. The team is looking stronger, rallying behind veterans Reignover and Piglet. Piglet is no doubt enjoying the renewed relevance of the ADC position compared to Spring, currently tied for third for his position in the NA LCS for Kill Participation at 69.7%. He shares that figure with Immortals’ Cody Sun, and they sit behind C9’s Sneaky and last split’s MVP, P1’s Arrow. This was perhaps the first week that TL did not look like a clear cut relegation team.

And with losses against TSM and Team EnVy this week, FlyQuest sinks to 1-7 alongside P1. The team seems to be struggling a bit with this Summer’s meta, aside from Balls, who continues consistent performances and exerts lane dominance even throughout their lost matches.

P1’s first win this week also marked the first professional LCS win for rookie jungler MikeYeung. Although their momentum was stopped soon after their win by Team Liquid, Week 4 seems as though it may be the roster beginning to hit their stride as a cohesive unit.

Roster Changes and Acquisitions

Over the weekend, Cloud9 announced their acquisition of Loulex, a jungler turned positional coach and potential sub. Loulex has played for most of the biggest teams in EU, including H2k, G2, Unicorns of Love, and Ninjas in Pyjamas.

While they have not officially taken him on board, Team SoloMid has also released a video introducing MrRallez, an ADC from the EU LCS who is joining the team on a trial basis. This comes after WildTurtle left the team to join FlyQuest, despite TSM’s insistance on fielding two players in the ADC position.

Week 5 next weekend will mark the middle of the Summer Split, and the last week before teams break for Rift Rivals.

All stats referred to in this article are sourced from Tim Sevenhuysen’s site, oracleselixir.com.

Daniel serves as the MOBA and Esports Editor for MMOExaminer and is a writer based in San Francisco, California. He enjoys games, music, film, certain television and theater. A former student of anthropology, he is fascinated by the intersections of culture, media and technology. He is perpetually in search of the perfect MMORPG, which may not actually exist.